I'm trying to build an XC route that starts right on the edge of London and takes in a loop of the Surrey Hills. Designed to bikepack over several days or as a single day epic challenge. The intention of the route is to be as offroad and fun as possible, while not containing anything too technical, since people may be riding laden gravel bikes. So e.g. not directly using a trail like Barry Know's Best but people can ride it if they want to. I'd like to refine the route then maybe share it on bikepacking.com
Here's what I've planned so far: https://www.komoot.com/tour/2275295424
I'm happy with most of the route as I've either ridden it a fair bit myself or it's using a known route like North Down's Way.
Here's the parts of the routes I'm not sure about:
- The entire segment of Peaslake to Devil's Punchbowl. I don't know this part well and unsure if my route is any good.
- The descent off the North Downs at around 25 miles - possibly not fun on a gravel bike? I haven't found a great alternative considering we want to go up Wolven's Lane on the other side.
- Similarly, not sure about the descent off Leith Hill. Whenever I've climbed there's always been a lot of pedestrians.
Would love some local advice and tips.
Can you share it as a connect file, or just the .gpx please?
Ta
DrP
That's not a bad descent from Ranmore for a gravel bike. If it's damp you'll be on slippery bare chalk though. Descents to avoid on gravel bikes would be Landrover and Cyclists Dismount.
Coming down from Leith there's a bridleway running north west from the tower to the junction with Sheephouse Lane that would miss most of the pedestrians, then left along a short section of road to High Ashes Farm bridleway down to Holmbury.
I've done that route to the Punchbowl. All good, but would try to find a route across that doesn't spend any time on the A281, and makes use of Whitley Common rather than the parallel road. Pretty much all of the paths in there are cycleable.
In Guildford it would be shorter going north up the banks or the Wey, across the footbridge and back down the cycle path to Pilgrims Way. Or indeed west straight across the floodplain on the footpath.
That's not a bad descent from Ranmore for a gravel bike. If it's damp you'll be on slippery bare chalk though. Descents to avoid on gravel bikes would be Landrover and Cyclists Dismount.
Coming down from Leith there's a bridleway running north west from the tower to the junction with Sheephouse Lane that would miss most of the pedestrians, then left along a short section of road to High Ashes Farm bridleway down to Holmbury.
I've done that route to the Punchbowl. All good, but would try to find a route across that doesn't spend any time on the A281, and makes use of Whitley Common rather than the parallel road. Pretty much all of the paths in there are cycleable.
In Guildford it would be shorter going north up the banks or the Wey, across the footbridge and back down the cycle path to Pilgrims Way. Or indeed west straight across the floodplain on the footpath.
Thanks for the tips, this is really useful.
Looks like the A281 can be avoided using a track behind Whipley Manor Farm.
Annoyingly there are no designated bridlepaths over Whitley Common
For the Guildford crossing I used the North Downs Way Rider's Route which takes that odd diversion but I suppose it makes a lot more sense to just push the bike over the bridge.
Here's an updated version of the route with those changes incorporated. Next time I have a free weekend I'm excited to give it a try.
https://www.komoot.com/tour/2275658882
I'm also considering if Staple Lane might be a more appropriate descent than Fuller's Farm Road, which could be a bit much for a loaded gravel bike. Would be a shame not to include it though.
Think I've only ever ridden Fuller's Farm once and going uphill. I can't remember anything particularly technical? Mostly a wide smooth byway.
Devil's Punchbowl climb was 'orrible on a loaded up CX bike on the KAW. Food at the pub was OK though ! You know something's up, when a home owner says, near the bottom, 'enjoy the climb'. The chalk is like ice - we had mainly dry days, but rain overnight, so it was slippy. Two of us had gravel tyres with fine tread and we were all over the show. One other had more knobbly tyres and faired better. The picture above, look a bit like the section where there is an Army training area.
Think I've only ever ridden Fuller's Farm once and going uphill. I can't remember anything particularly technical? Mostly a wide smooth byway.
Yep, it's a fantastic byway, it just has some big rooty clusters at the bottom which people might hit at considerable speed. I'll give it a try on a gravel bike and see if it works.
Devil's Punchbowl climb was 'orrible on a loaded up CX bike on the KAW. Food at the pub was OK though ! You know something's up, when a home owner says, near the bottom, 'enjoy the climb'. The chalk is like ice - we had mainly dry days, but rain overnight, so it was slippy. Two of us had gravel tyres with fine tread and we were all over the show. One other had more knobbly tyres and faired better. The picture above, look a bit like the section where there is an Army training area.
Yep, I'm considering switching back over to Boundless Road instead. The offroad climb is cool for how quiet it is compared to the main part of Devil's Punchbowl, but it is very hard work.
I've got a 60-something miler that covers some of the same ground (NE loop not included). I rode it last year with a bunch (inc. that DrP up there). Start and finish South side of PB.
I've since tweaked it to route north of the Hascombe section. Steep hike-a-bike tracks, washed out to substrate (geotexile, halfbricks...) foot high drops, tricky to even hike up. Wasn't really welcome terrain on gravel bikes after 50+ miles! Now goes W, NW from Peaslake though Blackheath, Godalming and down through Rodbourough and Thursley Commons. You can run through the tables at Milford dirtjumps as well, if you fancy!
PM'd you if you want to compare and contrast.
The offroad climb is cool for how quiet it is compared to the main part of Devil's Punchbowl, but it is very hard work.
Not sure if you've done that climb recently but it did get 'surfaced' over the winter. It's still hard work but not as loose and rocky as it was.
I commute to central london a couple of times a week from the Godalming area. For last year's summer solstice I decided to route via Leith Hill for the evening return. PM me if you would like the GPX. There's a few bits where I got a bit lost and had to retrace my steps - should be easy enough to identify. I don't normally use the main road out of Esher and prefer the Arbrook Common bridlepath and Esher Common route but I had a puncture in Richmond Park and had to use the fastest route out of London to get to Leith by sundown. Your route looks mostly good to me although the bridlepath down from Combe Lane to Woodcote I've only ridden once (in the opposite direction) and I found it heavily overgrown at the time. I normally just head down Staples Lane.
Had a chance to test the bottom loop this weekend, and have made some significant changes. Round Hascombe, the route was a lot of road and overgrown bridleways, rather anticlimactic after Winterfold Forest. I've chosen a totally different route from Farley Heath to Hydon's Ball, which I'll test soon https://www.komoot.com/tour/2314737476
Anyway Thursley and Hankley Common, WOW! Must be some of the most unique and amazing places in Southern England... and not a soul to be seen when I was there.
I've since tweaked it to route north of the Hascombe section. Steep hike-a-bike tracks, washed out to substrate (geotexile, halfbricks...) foot high drops, tricky to even hike up. Wasn't really welcome terrain on gravel bikes after 50+ miles! Now goes W, NW from Peaslake though Blackheath, Godalming and down through Rodbourough and Thursley Commons. You can run through the tables at Milford dirtjumps as well, if you fancy!
If I can't find a good route round Hascombe I might have to borrow this!
Coming down from Leith there's a bridleway running north west from the tower to the junction with Sheephouse Lane that would miss most of the pedestrians, then left along a short section of road to High Ashes Farm bridleway down to Holmbury.
That bridleway looked good but turned out to be too narrow and overgrown in places. I've chosen the busy Greensand path descent off Leith Hill after all.
I've done that route to the Punchbowl. All good, but would try to find a route across that doesn't spend any time on the A281, and makes use of Whitley Common rather than the parallel road. Pretty much all of the paths in there are cycleable.
Good call; I was wrong about there being no bridleways over Whitley Common. Open street maps doesn't have the correct data and I found signposts as well as a map marking out the bridleways.
The offroad climb is cool for how quiet it is compared to the main part of Devil's Punchbowl, but it is very hard work.
Not sure if you've done that climb recently but it did get 'surfaced' over the winter. It's still hard work but not as loose and rocky as it was.
I've decided to go with Boundless Road instead of this after all, partly because the gentle steady gradient of Boundless Road is welcome at this point in the ride, it feels cool to climb away from the unseen but noisy A3, but mainly because I want the route to be different from King Alfred's Way. Similarly I've taken out Frensham Common to spend more time in Hankley Common. Frensham Common is great but also been busier than the other commons when I've visited, is very sandy in some places, and requires dismounts for the pretty ford and Wey crossings, at least with the width of my handlebars!
Your route looks mostly good to me although the bridlepath down from Combe Lane to Woodcote I've only ridden once (in the opposite direction) and I found it heavily overgrown at the time. I normally just head down Staples Lane.
Yep after experiencing the same I'm puzzled why London-Brighton off-road uses that bridlepath. Staple Lane is a brilliant descent so I'll just use that.
Staple Lane is a brilliant descent so I'll just use that.
Watch out for the manhole cover just after the second bend (which currently has 2 fly-tips on it). It’s not very flush with the road surface..
A v short detour just before the summit of Leith Hill, looping north then back south towards the tower, will be more rideable and avoid most of the walkers on the final steep slope.
A v short detour just before the summit of Leith Hill, looping north then back south towards the tower, will be more rideable and avoid most of the walkers on the final steep slope.
Thanks for the tip, is this what you are referring to?
I finally found a really nice way to get around the Grafham/Hascombe/Hambledon area, although it's not perfect. Here's the final version of the route, I've submitted it to bikepacking.com too.
